As Barcelona defeated Atletico Madrid to move three points clear atop LaLiga, Ousmane Dembele scored the game's lone goal.
Real Madrid's loss to Villarreal on Saturday provided Xavi's team with an opportunity to gain some breathing room at the top, which they took advantage of with a strong performance at the Civitas Metropolitano. The toothless Rojiblancos were defeated by Dembele's cool first-half performance, moving them to fifth position.
The Blaugrana, who were without the suspended Robert Lewandowski, passed a tough test to secure their first top-flight victory since the World Cup break. However, Stefan Savic and Ferran Torres were both dismissed for a late off-the-ball altercation.
Savic and Jose Gimenez made vital blocks to keep Ansu Fati from scoring, and Barca rapidly established their dominance in the game by controlling possession.
In the 22nd minute, Pedri surged into the area and passed the ball to Gavi, who then put it in the path of Dembele, who finished with a right-footed precision to score a fantastic first goal.
Soon after, Jan Oblak stopped Pedri from scoring a second goal, but Atleti continued to threaten, as Jose Gimenez's header went just wide before Marc-Andre ter Stegen made a spectacular one-handed save to stop Antoine Griezmann's drive.
Griezmann, a former player for Barcelona, had another opportunity early in the second half but missed the goal from eight yards out. Atleti were caught off guard by a ball over the top, and Savic once more saved the day by deflecting the dangerous Dembele's attempt wide.
Savic and Torres were sent off after a fight, and Griezmann had a shot cleared off the line as Barca held on for a significant victory. There was late drama.
FIGHTING BARCA GRAB THE LEAD
In their previous two trips to the Metropolitano, Barca had been defeated without scoring a goal, but they showed the kind of tenacity required to claim a championship.
Although their first LaLiga match following the World Cup ended in a furious draw with Espanyol, they were brilliant in the first half and really rolled up their sleeves to defeat Diego Simeone's tenacious team. Atleti now behind Real Betis in the race to make the Champions League after suffering their fifth LaLiga loss of the year.
DEMBELE THE DISTINCTION
Another energetic performance by the direct Dembele, whose pace, power, and talent gave Atleti a lot of trouble.
Currently, across all competitions, the France international has seven goals and an equal number of assists this season. The only players in LaLiga with five goals and five assists each are Dembele and Griezmann.
PEDRI MANIPULATES EVENTS.
Pedri, a midfielder, was a delight to watch as he set the pace with his deft passing, fluid movement in the middle of the field, and explosive dash that led to the opening goal.
In a standout display, the Spain international generated two chances and completed 14 passes in the final third.
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